Selfless
by sUnKiSsT
Summary: A relaxing night on the town turns into a nightmare when Johnny is injured saving his sister...Pre Movie Two...Complete!
1. Chapter 1

_Hey everybody! Okay…so this is my first Fantastic 4 story- it was only supposed to be one __**very **__long one-shot, but I've decided to post it in chapters instead, helps with the suspense ha-ha. So it'll probably be about 3 chapters. I am nervous about posting this, as I'm not really sure how accurate it is, but I've decided that I can't pick over that stuff, so please just consider it a little AU. _

_I've rated this K+ for swearing and some bloody scenes. _

_Anyways, basically this story is Johnny centric- "An innocent night on the town proves deadly when Johnny saves his sister…"_

* * *

**Selfless**

**1**

****

Sue Storm, soon to be Richards, fingered the cocktail in her hands. She and the rest of the group had decided to go out for the night and relax, something that none of them had done since the defeat of Victor Von Doom.

Well, none of them had had a chance to relax if you excluded Johnny of course. Sue smiled slightly, looking over at her little brother, who was currently talking up two pretty ladies. _He never quits…_

As hot headed as her baby brother was, Sue couldn't help but love him for his personality. He brought a certain spark to the group (no pun intended), and was able to make light of even the most dire of situations.

There were times of course, when he drove her and especially Ben crazy, but she had long gotten used to his joking ways.

Turning her eyes away from Johnny, Sue glanced over at her soon to be husband, and his best friend, who were talking intensely to each other a few table away. _No doubt they're talking about some new experiment Reed is working on…_

"Hey, you two!" She called over the loud music, "Work later, let's dance!"

Reed smiled and waved, "We'll be over in a bit."

Sue shook her head, but smiled all the same. She finished her drink and turned back to the bartender. "Another one, please?" She asked politely.

The woman nodded her head and took the glass, setting out a fresh drink a second later.

"Hey sis, having fun?" Johnny asked as he swaggered over, plunking himself into the stool next to her.

"Sure am." Sue replied.

"Like the place I picked then? I knew you'd love it…" Johnny smirked.

Sue grinned at her brother. The busy club was exactly the type of thing he would choose; therefore she had not been surprised when he had led them all into the newly opened building.

It had however, taken quite a bit of convincing to get Reed and Ben to come in. The two of them weren't exactly the 'club' type.

When Sue turned away from the dance floor, she raised her eyebrows at the fresh beer in Johnny's hand. "What is that now? Your tenth?"

"Ninth…and you know it takes a lot more than that to even get me buzzed. My body burns this stuff out of me like its nothing." Johnny replied defensively.

Sue was about to reply when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she fully expected to see Reed standing behind her, and was therefore shocked when she saw a man she didn't recognize.

Frowning, Sue picked the mans hand up off of her shoulder. "Can I help you?" She asked curtly.

"You're the invisible woman." The man stated.

"That's right…" Sue answered, his glazed eyes were making her uncomfortable. _It looks like he's been doing drugs…_

"You are very pretty. Can I dance with you?" The man asked, his tone flat.

"Uhmm…I'm sorry but I don't think my fiancé would be very comfortable with us dancing." Sue replied, shifting in her seat uncomfortably.

By now, Johnny's attention had been drawn to his sister and away from the bartender, who he had been flirting with. "Sue, everything alright?"

"Yeah, this man was just leaving, right sir?" Sue replied, narrowing her eyes at the burly figure.

"My name is Greg, lets dance." Was his answer.

Sue was caught off guard when Greg suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked her up off of her stool.

"Hey!" Johnny yelled out angrily, also rising.

The commotion was now starting to draw attention from other patrons near the bar area.

"Don't touch me!" Sue said fiercely, pulling her hand out of Greg's grasp. _He's a civilian, don't use your powers…he is either mentally ill or on drugs…or just doesn't know the meaning of no… _She told herself, sorely tempted to blast this guy across the room.

"You heard the lady. Get the hell out of here before I turn you into something crispy!" Johnny threatened, his hands balling into fists. _No one touches my sister like that! No one!_

Greg glanced at Johnny and said calmly, "The human torch, I suppose?"

"You got that right buddy, now get out of here!" Johnny snapped back.

"Invisible woman, please dance with me. You are so beautiful, I love you." Greg turned back to Susan, oblivious to the snarling Johnny Storm.

Sue gave her brother a bewildered look. "Johnny," She whispered quietly, "I think he's on drugs, maybe we should get him to the hospital?"

Johnny took a calming breath and said to Greg, "Sir, are you feeling okay? Do you need to see a doctor?" _Wow, I actually said that pretty nicely…Sue and Reed are rubbing off on me…_

"Let's dance." The man repeated, reaching out for Sue again.

Johnny shoved Greg's hand away, his anger beginning to bubble. _This guy is a freaking lunatic! _"Stay the fuck away from her!"

"I am not going to dance with you, Greg." Sue said firmly, giving her brother at look that clearly said to calm down.

The dark haired man blinked his blood shot eyes and responded, "Why?"

"I already told you, my fiancé won't like it if I do." Sue replied, her voice more gentle than before.

Greg moved back a step, his face wrinkled in confusion.

Sue took the step back as a sign that he was giving up, and she turned back to the bar. Her brother however, stayed where he was, regarding the larger man suspiciously.

Meanwhile, Reed and Ben were now standing and making their way over to the pair.

Greg took another step backwards, but his face was no longer devoid of any emotion, or full of confusion.

His face was contorted in rage.

Johnny was about to take his attention off of the man when he noticed this change. Before he could even take a threatening step towards Greg and tell him to back off, the older man shoved his hand into the inside of his jacket.

Johnny's face paled considerably when the man pulled out a small silver gun, and pointed it right at his sisters back.

"SUE, BEHIND YOU!"

He felt himself moving towards his sister before Greg had even fired off the shot. Knowing that there was no way he could flame on and still jump in the way, Johnny leapt towards Susan and knocked her right off of her stool.

Johnny felt the bullet enter his side, and he cried out in pain as both he and his sister fell to the ground.

Sue yelled out in surprise when she and her brother crashed to the ground, the mingled sounds of a gunshot and screams ringing in her ears.

Scrambling into a sitting position, Sue found herself on the ground; her motionless brother lay on his side, with his back turned towards her.

"JOHNNY!" She screamed in horror, rolling her baby brother over so that he lay on his back. Sue barely heard Ben roar as he grabbed Greg and ripped the gun out of his hands, she was too busy taking in Johnny's injury.

"Johnny? Oh my god! JOHNNY!" She cried out, her voice shaking uncontrollably when she saw the blood pouring out of his side.

Blinking slowly, Johnny stared up at his sister, who had placed his head in her lap.

"You're going to alright…you're going to be alright!" Sue reassured him, tucking back a piece of her blonde hair.

Her hands were already covered in blood.

"Sis…" Johnny whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I love you." He said quietly.

Sue felt tears beginning to slip down her cheeks. Her brother had said it without any hint of humor, and his eyes no longer held that sparkle of mischief. "Johnny, don't you dare give up! You're the human torch, remember?!"

Johnny tried to smile, his glazed blue eyes brightening slightly, "I…d-don't have…amnesia…"

Suddenly, Reed was beside the pair, his white face looking closely at their youngest members wound. "Jesus…" He muttered.

"God Reed, he shot him…he _shot _him!" Sue exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Ben was holding Greg firmly by his throat with one hand, in his other he held the crushed beyond recognition gun.

"Somebody call a damn ambulance, and the rest of you, get the hell out of here, this isn't a damn show!" Ben yelled towards the gaggle of people as he towered over his teammates. His fingers itched to crush Greg's throat, but he held himself back.

"Johnny, I need you to stay awake for me, alright?" Reed commanded.

"I…don't…t-take orders…very…well." Johnny joked; he could feel the coppery taste of blood in the back of his throat. _Maybe I can lighten the situation by making them laugh._

"You better damn well listen to him, Johnny!" Sue cried, holding her brothers hand tightly.

Johnny focused his gaze back on the blurring form of his sister. "Don't c-cry…Suzie…" _Well, that backfired. _

This of course, only made Sue cry harder.

"I need to put more pressure on this wound, Johnny." Reed warned the young man, "It's going to hurt."

Before Johnny could respond, Reed stripped off the shirt he was wearing over his uniform, and he pressed it deeply into Johnny's side.

"Argghhh!" Johnny couldn't help the scream that slipped from his mouth as his back arched in agony.

"It's alright kid…the ambulance is almost here." Ben said, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.

Sue wiped the sweat off of her brothers brow, "God Johnny I'm so sorry…oh my god…I'm sorry…this is my entire fault."

Johnny heard his sister's voice, although it was starting to sound further and further away. "Don…don't you…d-dare…blame y-yourself…" He choked out, blood slipping out of the corner of his mouth and rolling down the side of his face.

"We need to turn him onto his side; he's going to choke on his own blood." Reed said, his usual calm voice slightly frantic.

Sue nodded and both she and Reed turned her brother over gently, allowing the blood from his mouth to drip out onto the wood floor.

They held him in this position for a few seconds before turning him back over.

Johnny groaned and closed his eyes in pain.

"Johnny! Keep your eyes open for me!" Sue cried out in alarm.

The young man forced his eyes open and attempted to focus them on his sister, but he was so tired…

Ben saw that the youngest of their team was fading, and he let out a roar of frustration. He looked over at the man he still held and asked furiously, "Why did you have to shoot him?!"

The man shrugged casually in Ben's grasp and said without any hint of emotion, "I was aiming for her, 'cause she didn't want to dance with me, that idiot got in the way."

Anger such as he had never felt before coursed through Ben's body, and without thinking he threw the man through the air, watching with satisfaction when he landed in a crumpled heap.

Ben didn't even bother to check if he had killed the man, he instead knelt down beside his three closest friends, his only worry Johnny.

Reed didn't even look up from where he sat, but he did say quietly, "You shouldn't have done that, Ben. You might've killed him."

"I didn't throw him that hard, just enough to knock him out." Ben scoffed, "Besides, the bastard deserved it!"

Reed had no argument for this, knowing full well that if he had Ben's strength, he himself would've sent that twisted man straight through the wall.

"Hanging in there, matchstick?" Ben asked Johnny softly.

"'course…" Johnny slurred, he could feel more blood making its way up his throat. "Don't…y-you g-get….all 'motional o-on…me…p-pebbles…"

Ben let out a gravelly laugh, "Don't flatter yourself, kid. I just want to make sure we are still going to be called the 'Fantastic Four'…it'd be a pain to get the emblem changed to a three!"

Johnny smiled weakly and attempted to speak again, "T-ha…more…li-ke…it…"

The wailing of sirens could be heard just outside the club.

"You hear the sirens, Johnny? The paramedics are coming now." Sue soothed, her entire body shaking like a leaf. _What if I lose him?_

Johnny sent her a reassuring grin, his eyes starting to close again. "Can…can't…b-breathe..."

"Johnny, fight it! Please Johnny, just think of all the publicity you'll get after this!" Sue pleaded, using any tactic she could think of to keep her baby brother awake.

"You…s-safe…t-tha…all m-matter…to m-me…" Johnny whispered, grateful that it was him lying here bleeding to death and not his sister, fame was the last thing on his mind.

Unable to stop the darkness from creeping up on him, Johnny let his eyes slid shut, barely hearing the fading voices of his family as they encouraged him to stay awake. He whispered hoarsely, "N-night…Su…zie…R-Reed…peb-pebbles…" before oblivion greeted him.

"JOHNNY! NO!" Sue wailed when she felt her brother go completely limp.

* * *

_So, did you like it? Please let me know if you think anyone is OOC. I've only watched each movie once so I'm not sure if their personalities are accurate or not! Keep an eye out for chapter 2!_

_Oh, and I can't think of a good title for this, any ideas? I will of course give you credit for it! _


	2. Chapter 2

_Whoa guys! I got a bunch of reviews for the first chapter; I was surprised at the amount. Thank you all so much, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please let me know what you think. _

_Oh, and I decided to leave the title, its grown on me and you guys all seem to like it!_

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**Selfless**

**2**

Reed immediately felt for a pulse, obvious relief in his voice when he said, "He's still with us Sue. He just passed out."

Sue nodded as she ran a hand down the side of Johnny's face. "Hang in there, I can't lose you." She whispered brokenly. _Please God, he can't die, he can't…I NEED him…_

Ben turned away, his emotions getting the better of him. He wanted to cry and punch something all at once. _This isn't fair! He's just a kid! He saves peoples lives; he doesn't deserve this, no matter how much a pain in the ass he can be! _He thought to himself furiously, barely noticing the fact that both paramedics and police officers had entered the club.

"We need help over here!" Reed shouted, waving two paramedics over.

The two emergency workers felt their mouths falling open in shock when the saw who their patient was, neither of them believing what was before their eyes. "Holy shit…" The younger medic muttered, shaking his head.

"Don't just stand there! He's dying!" Sue cried, hysterical.

The female shook herself free of her surprise and immediately set to work, her partner right behind her.

Sue, Reed and Ben watched in silence as the two paramedics spoke to each other as they worked.

"We need to intubate him…"

"BP is rapidly falling…"

"There's an exit wound…below his left shoulder bone…"

"Give me the four by fours; he's losing too much blood!"

"We need to scoop and run; this kid is in rough shape!"

Sue felt herself being pushed away from her helpless brother as he was rolled onto a stretcher.

"We only have room for one of you, and you better decide quickly." The female paramedic suddenly said.

"I'm going." Sue immediately answered. Reed and Ben nodded in agreement.

"We'll be there as soon as possible, Suzie." Reed squeezed his fiancés arm comfortingly as they stoop up.

"He's a fighter, he'll make it." Ben added.

Sue smiled at the two and said softly, "I'll see you at the hospital."

Ben and Reed watched in silence as Sue ran along the stretcher, neither of them moving until the paramedics had rushed out of the building and into the waiting ambulance. A police officer suddenly stood beside them. "The human torch was shot then?" He asked awkwardly.

Reed nodded absently.

"Do you know what happened?"

Ben shook his head, "No, we don't know the whole story, we just saw that bastard shoot Johnny."

The police officer turned in the direction that Ben was pointing, and found himself looking at the unconscious form of a man, who was currently being treated by a paramedic.

"Where's the gun?"

Ben opened his fist, revealing the crushed to dust weapon in his palm.

The officer shifted uncomfortably, "Oh…"

"If you don't mind, we'd like to get to the hospital." Reed said in a strangled voice.

"Uh, right…go ahead, my supervisor will probably be down in a bit to take your statements." The man called after the two's retreating backs.

Neither Ben nor Reed responded as they headed out of the club, both of them thinking only of their youngest member and how they might lose him forever.

_**In The Ambulance…**_

Sue sat beside her brothers limp form, holding his hand tightly. The male paramedic sat beside her, occasionally checking on Johnny's vitals, and speaking to his partner, who was driving.

"Stay with me, Johnny…" Sue whispered to her brother, trying to ignore the wailing of the sirens. _He can't die…he's way too young…_

Even as Sue was thinking this, the heart monitor began shrieking, snapping her out of her thoughts. "What…what's happening!" She cried out in a panic.

"Damnit! Heather how far out are we? He's going into defib!" The younger medic yelled to Heather, completely ignoring Sue's question.

Heather immediately called from over her shoulder, "Less than one minute, charge the paddles."

Sue felt herself starting to hyperventilate when she realized that Johnny's heart had stopped. _Oh please, please NO…please…this CAN'T be happening!_

"I'm charging to 200!"

Heather pulled the ambulance to the side of the road and scrambled into the back seat, "Marc, hand me those paddles."

The less experienced paramedic immediately did as he was told.

"CLEAR!" Heather yelled.

Marc grabbed hold of Sue, and held her back from her brother. "Johnny! Johnny!" She called her brothers name frantically, "Don't give up on me! Come on Johnny, stay with me!"

Johnny's back arched into the air as electricity coursed through his body, his head lolling limply to the side when his back fell back against the gurney.

Marc and Heather both looked to the monitors, and sighed with relief when they saw the heart monitor returning to normal. The last thing either of them wanted was to be known as the two paramedics who let the human torch die in their bus.

"We got him back, Miss. Storm." Heather reassured the invisible woman before climbing back into the driver's seat and peeling back out onto the road.

Sue immediately wriggled out of Greg's hold and grabbed for her brother's hand again, she leaned in so that she could kiss her brothers forehead. "We're almost there, Johnny, we're almost there…"

Indeed, less than one minute later Sue found herself in the ambulance bay of the hospital. She quickly jumped out of the vehicle and followed her brother's gurney as it was rushed through the automatic doors. An emergency team awaited them in the hallway.

Marc and Heather were talking to both the doctors and nurses, but Sue only heard snatches of the hurried conversation.

"Approximately twenty three year old male, one gun shot wound to the lower right side…"

"Exit wound underneath left shoulder blade…"

"Lost him once in the bus…"

"Lost a rapid amount of the blood…"

Sue soon found herself being held back by an older nurse, who said to her gently, "You can't go any further, dear…the doctors need to work…"

"You can't stop me!" Sue snapped back, her hands rising up as she got ready to create a force field.

The nurse stepped back but said firmly, "You are only going to interfere, super powers or not…you can't save him."

Sue felt her resolve crumbling, and she fell to her knees, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. "He's my baby brother! He can't die, he can't…he doesn't deserve this, it doesn't matter how hot headed he can be!" She sobbed into her hands, all composure lost.

The nurse knelt down beside her and said comfortingly, "Rarely do people deserve for something like this to happen to them. You have to be strong for your brother, and pray."

Sue took a few calming breaths and nodded her head. "I'm sorry for freaking out…"

"Don't worry about it, happens all the time in this place. Now, why don't you go and sit in the waiting room, I'll make sure the doctor working on your brother knows where to find you."

"Alright…" Sue said softly, allowing the nurse to steer her into the waiting room, which was currently deserted.

"This room was ordered sectioned off for you and your teammates the moment the hospital learnt who its patient was to be, so you don't have to worry about any intrusions."

"Thank-you…"

"I'll leave you alone now, and don't worry; I will make sure your teammates find their way here." The nurse said before leaving the room.

Sue watched her leave before dropping her head back into her hands. _Please be okay, Johnny…_

_**Twenty Minutes Later**_

A very frazzled Reed and pissed off looking Ben entered the waiting room, shutting the door behind them quickly.

"Sue?" Reed said softly as he walked towards his fiancé.

Sue looked over at him and gave him a small, trembling smile. "It took you guys a while to get here."

"We were questioned at the club, and then when we arrived here we were bombarded by reporters waiting outside." Reed explained.

"Inconsiderate assholes, all of them." Ben growled menacingly, "Don't know the meaning of privacy…"

"Has there been any word?" Reed quickly asked, not wanting Ben to get himself more worked up. _The last thing we need is holes in the walls…_

Shaking her head sadly, Sue whispered, "Nothing, it's been at least a half an hour…"As if listening in on their conversation, a doctor suddenly entered the room.

Sue stood up with Ben and Reed, trembling slightly as the doctor read her unspoken question.

"He's still alive." The doctor quickly said, "But his condition is very critical, we're taking him up to surgery right now."

"Can you do that? I mean with his body temperature being much higher than a normal human's?" Reed immediately asked.

The doctor shrugged helplessly, "We don't know, but we're willing to try…if he doesn't get the surgery he will die, no doubt about it."

Sue shuddered at the very thought, but managed to ask softly, "What are the extent of his injuries?"

The doctor took a deep breath, "When the bullet entered it hit his ribs, causing several of them to break, one of them punctured his left lung, which is rapidly filling up with fluid. The projectile also managed to nick an artery on its way out, causing a significant amount of blood loss; his chances are very low, I'm afraid."

"Why…why didn't the bullet melt though? Wouldn't Johnny's body temperature cause the thing to melt before it could get too far?" Ben directed his question to Reed.

Reed sighed and said slowly, "It was a close range shot, the bullet was in and out before it could really be affected by the heat…a bullet itself is very hot when it first leaves a gun…this is just a theory though…I'm not sure if I'm right…"

The doctor's beeper suddenly went off, and he looked apologetically at the three, "I have to go, but the moment I know anything, I'll come and get you. If you have any questions, please get one of the nurses to page me…Dr. Shinx."

Sue sat back down with a dejected sigh once they were alone, her eyes yet again welling up with tears.

"It's going to be okay, Suzie." Ben comforted her, "The doctor's don't know Johnny the way we do…he's too stubborn to die."

"He's right, Johnny will pull through this." Reed added as he sat beside her.

Ben remained standing, knowing that the measly chairs would never support his massive weight.

"I just…I can't believe that this happened…it was supposed to be a relaxing night on the town…" Sue said softly, "He…he was shot _protecting_ me…he might _die_ because I let my guard down…"

"Sue, we don't know exactly what happened, but it wasn't your fault…you didn't aim that gun or pull the trigger." Reed said firmly.

Sue however, was not listening to Reed; her eyes were instead focused on the window that led out into the hall.

"Sue…?" Reed questioned, following her gaze, which was directed at two police officers, who were currently flanking the man that had shot Johnny.

Sue was out of her chair in a flash; she shot past both of her companions and flew out the door. "YOU BASTARD!" She screamed in the direction of the man.

Reed and Ben both exchanged grim looks as they followed her through the door, both knowing that Susan Storm rarely lost her composure or swore.

She was furious, and her protective, big sister instincts were in full gear.

The police officers stopped, both still holding Greg, who stood handcuffed with a bandage around his head.

Before she even realized what she was doing, Sue had Greg in a force field. She slammed him against the top of the wall, her eyes flashing dangerously. Both the officers, Reed and Ben (albeit reluctantly) shouted at her to let him down.

Sue paid them no attention, instead talking to her captive in a low, threatening voice. "I swear to god, if he dies…I'll kill you!"

Greg was slightly panicked from being held seven feet in the air by an invisible force, and he stuttered, "Y-you wouldn't dance with me!"

"SO YOU SHOOT MY BROTHER?!" Sue screamed, causing everyone in the vicinity to wince.

"Suzie, put him down, you can't help Johnny this way." Ben said quietly, watching the shooter squirm with disgust.

Sue hesitated, and only lowered the field when Reed squeezed her shoulder gently. Greg fell to the ground painfully.

Breathing heavily Sue glared down at the man and spat, her voice venomous, "If my brother dies, you _will_ regret it!" With that, she strode back into the waiting room.

The officers quickly grabbed their prisoner and hurried down the hallway, both worried that the invisible woman would lose her temper again. At the same time, Ben and Reed followed Sue into the room, snapping the door shut behind them.

"Sue, you shouldn't have done that…" Reed started, but was cut off.

"_Don't _tell me what I shouldn't and should have done, Reed. That lunatic shot my brother and may have killed him, I'll do whatever I damn well please!" Sue hissed.

Reed fell silent, and Ben opted to stay out of it as well, Sue was obviously beyond thinking rationally.

The three sat in silence for the next hour, all of them looking up when another police officer entered the room. This one was obviously the supervisor the other cop had told Ben and Reed about.

The cop introduced himself as Sgt. Jason Junivoski, and shook hands with the three.

"I would like to know if you are ready to give your statements." Junivoski asked politely, trying to disguise the fact that meeting three of the fantastic four was a bit overwhelming for him.

Sue recounted the events slowly, her voice trembling as she spoke. Reed held her hand in a silent type of support.

When all three of them had given their statements, which surprisingly had taken nearly an hour, Junivoski got up to leave. "I may need to speak to you again, but it isn't very likely. There were several eye witnesses and lots of security footage…this should be an open and shut case." He said.

"Wait," Sue said softly, "Who was the guy that shot Johnny? He only told me his first name…"

Junivoski shoved his tape recorder back into his coat and responded, "His name is Gregory William Stepler."

"How'd he get into the club with a gun?" Reed demanded to know.

Sighing, the gray haired officer replied, "We are not positive as of yet, but we believe he wandered in through a back entrance after smoking marijuana in the alleyway. We have called his mother –his father is deceased- and she informed us that he suffers from a drug addiction, is obsessive compulsive and bipolar."

Ben whistled, and Reed blinked in surprise.

"So…is that why he kept repeating himself? Because he was high on drugs and his OCD was taking over?" Sue asked.

"That is our theory, yes." Junivoski replied, "We also believe that his bipolar disorder is what compelled him to pull out the gun and fire it. I cannot confirm any of this yet though, not until we have completed a thorough investigation."

"He isn't going to get off because of his disorders, is he?" Sue asked worriedly.

"He will not be set free after shooting somebody at point blank range, Miss. Storm. He is, all facts considered, guilty. He had medication for his disorders, which he has obviously not been taking."

"If he isn't sent to jail he'll go to a psychiatric hospital instead." Reed added, looking at the officer for confirmation.

"That is another possibility." Junivoski said, "However, as I said, nothing will be known until an investigation has been conducted. Now, I've really got to be going, there are only so many hours in day…"

The three thanked him as he walked towards the door, pausing when he opened it.

Junivoski turned around and said quietly, "My thoughts are with your brother, Miss. Storm."

Sue smiled a little and whispered a soft thank-you as the officer left the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

_I don't even how likely it is to have bi-polar disorder and be OCD, but just run with it, okay? It fits the story heh heh. I also wasn't sure if Johnny's body temperature would melt the bullet so I just wrote what I thought would seem realistic : ) _


	3. Chapter 3

_Okay, so I've decided to do one more chapter after this…an epilogue of sorts…I just think that this chapter doesn't have the closure that I'd be looking for in a story. So yeah, make sure you keep your eyes open for it!_

* * *

**Selfless**

**3**

Sue smiled a little and whispered a soft thank-you as the officer left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Turning to Reed, Sue said, "I'm sorry for snapping at you, it's just…Johnny is practically the only family I have left, and I don't know what I'll do if I lose him."

Ben spoke up gruffly before Reed could answer, "That isn't true, Suzie. We're all a family, by blood or not. The kid may drive me insane, but he's like a son to me."

Sue laughed a little and said, "I wonder what Johnny would think of that?"

Ben grumbled something that sounded like, "Don't you tell him…I'd never hear the end of it…" before the three fell into silence again.

It wasn't long before another hour had passed. It was now nearly three in the morning, and Sue felt herself drifting off to sleep on her fiancés shoulder. She tried in vain to stay awake, but the emotional events of the day were finally taking a toll on her exhausted body.

All three of them were drifting off to sleep when the door opened yet again.

Sue snapped awake and found herself looking at another doctor, Johnny's surgeon, no doubt.

Before they could bombard the doctor with questions, the woman held up her hand and announced, "He made it through the surgery, and I am very confident that he is going to be okay."

Sue let out a cry of joy and flung her arms around Reed. "Thank god!" She mumbled into his shoulder. _I knew he wouldn't give up one me!_

"Can we see him?" Ben asked, "Doctor…?"

"My name is Dr. Corissa Aster, Dr. Shinx is with a patient at the moment, so I told him I would come and talk to you." She answered.

"Right…Dr. Aster, can we see him?" Ben repeated.

"Yes, we've just got him settled into a room. The surgery went very well; the only reason why it took so long was because it was a very delicate procedure. Mr. Storm is currently sleeping, and he probably won't wake up for a few hours," Dr. Aster spoke as she led the three into the hallway.

"Don't be alarmed by his appearance. We've inserted a breathing tube down his throat to help him out, his lungs are very weak and I don't want to put anymore stress on them than necessary. When he wakes up I'll have it taken out."

The four soon found themselves standing outside a door, a white dry/erase board by it read Johnny's name.

"How long will he be here for?" Reed asked.

"If there are no complications, he'll be out within the next few days. He's going to be sore for a while though." She replied.

Reed nodded and turned to Sue, "When he's back at the Baxter Building I'll need to conduct a few tests…to see if his powers will be affected by this, I doubt they will be, but I just want to be sure…"

Sue nodded absently, not thinking at all about her brothers abilities. She just wanted to see him and be sure that he was going to live.

"I'll give you some privacy then, just ring the nurse station if you need anything. I'm sure Dr. Shinx will be back at some point to check over him." Dr. Aster said, opening the door for the trio.

The three muttered their thanks and filed into the room.

Sue, who had gone in first, froze at the sight of her brother.

Johnny was paler than she had ever seen him before, and she couldn't help but wince at the sight of the breathing tube taped to his mouth. Various monitors were beeping around him limp form, and two IV's had been inserted into his hands.

"Oh, Johnny…" She whispered as she rushed to his side. Brushing his hand with her own, she shivered at the coldness of his skin. "Reed, he feels cold…" Sue said worriedly.

Reed looked over the monitors before turning to the bed, "His temperature is rising, it's not normal for him yet, but I don't think it'll be long before its back up." Looking over at Ben, he said, "Ben? You alright?"

Ben, who had been staring at Johnny's prone form, jumped when he realized Reed was speaking to him. "Huh? Oh, uhm, yeah I'm fine." He answered quickly, "Was just surprised to see him so…so…"

"Helpless?" Reed supplied, to which Ben nodded.

Sue ran a hand through her brother's short hair, "You're okay Johnny...I knew you wouldn't give up…" Bending down, she gave him a small kiss on the forehead.

"So, he really is going to be okay then?" Ben asked doubtfully. _Kid looks like he's half in the grave, not recovering…_

"You heard what the doctor said." Reed answered simply as he took a seat beside Susan. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and spoke to Johnny's unconscious form, "I know you can't hear me right now, but I just wanted to say thank-you…you saved Sue's life…"

Sue smiled slightly when Reed tightened his grip around her shoulders. _I'm so lucky to have Johnny as my brother, and Reed as my soon to be husband…and Ben, too. I don't know what I'd so without them. _

Ben, who had been watching Sue and Reed embrace, suddenly remembered Alicia. Smacking his forehead with his massive, rocky hand, he let out a low curse.

"What's wrong Ben?" Sue immediately asked.

"Alicia!" He groaned, "I wonder if she's still up? This'll have been all over the radio and TV…damnit she might be outside the hospital trying to get in here!" Ben quickly excused himself and lumbered down the hallway, cursing the entire way. _She's going to __kill__ me!_

Sue and Reed glanced at each other, smiling a little as they heard Ben stomp down the hall, his heavy steps rattling the walls as he went.

Turning back to her brother, Sue's smile disappeared. _This is my entire fault… it should be me lying there. _"You better wake up soon, little brother." _I need to see those blue eyes of yours and hear you say that you're okay. _

"Sue…I'm going to get some coffee and try to find Ben…" Reed suddenly stood. _She needs some time alone with him. _

Sue knew exactly what her fiancé was doing, and she nodded gratefully. "I'll be here when you get back." She said softly as he walked out of the room. She waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps before scooting closer to her brother.

Leaning over the bed, Sue laid her head beside Johnny's, a silent tear slipping down her cheek. She couldn't remember a time where she had seen him so fragile, not even when their mother had died. "I know you said not to blame myself for this…Reed said the same thing…but I just can't help it…I'm so sorry Johnny…" She whispered, closing her eyes as she attempted to keep her emotions at bay.

Without realizing it, Sue found herself drifting off into another fitful doze. When Reed re-entered the room half an hour later, with both Ben and Alicia in tow, they found her slumped over the bed, sleeping by her brothers limp form.

_**Five Hours Later**_

Johnny didn't really know where he was, the last thing he remembered was getting shot and saying his goodbyes to his family. When he had woken, he had been here. _Is this some sort of dream?_ He questioned out loud, "Am I dead?" as he walked through the thick fog.

Impatience took over as he walked aimlessly through the grey fog. His side was hurting slightly, which wasn't exactly helping his mood improve. _I'm walking around in circles! _Johnny was about ready to scream in frustration when he heard it.

Voices, and not just any voices. _Ben, Sue, Reed! I can hear them! _Hope soared through Johnny as he started to walk towards the mumbled sounds of his family. _Maybe I'm not dead after all…_He mused as he broke out into a run, desperate to find his sister and friends.

Unfortunately, the closer he got to the voices, the more the pain in his side and chest intensified. _I must be getting close…_he thought as he clenched his teeth, plowing forward determinedly.

He panicked when he no longer heard the voices echoing towards him, but his fluttering heart calmed when he heard the sound of light breathing. _They stopped talking…did they fall asleep? _Johnny wondered as he continued to run.

Quite suddenly, Johnny found himself on his knees when his throbbing side exploded in unbearable pain. Black dots blotted his vision, and the fog swirled around him at a sickeningly fast pace. The ground he had been standing on suddenly disappeared, and he let out a surprised yell as he fell downwards.

The fog darkened around Johnny, and he felt himself lose consciousness yet again, completely oblivious to the fact that his sisters breathing had become distinctly louder…

_**Meanwhile…**_

Sue awoke with a start. Jerking upwards, she looked around to see what had woken her. Both Ben and Alicia were sleeping across the room, and Reed was dozing restlessly at the foot of Johnny's bed.

Glancing at the clock, Sue was surprised to see that it was nearly 8:30 in the morning. Sighing, she turned back to the bed, and nearly screamed out in surprise.

Johnny was shifting slightly beneath his blankets, his eye's twitching as he attempted to wake up. _That's what woke me! _Sue thought before calling out her brother's name, "Johnny! Johnny can you hear me? Open your eyes!"

"Whas goin' on? Susan?" Reed slurred as he was startled out of his sleep. Both Ben and Alicia had also woken, and were stretching out their stiff limbs.

"He's waking up!" Sue answered excitedly as she hovered over her brother's bed.

This of course, got the threes attention and they were out of their seats in a flash. Reed stood behind Susan, while Ben and Alicia went to the other side of the bed. All four of them stared down at Johnny.

Finally, after five agonizing minutes, Johnny let out a muffled groan and opened his tired eyes. Sue immediately hit the nurse call button as she whispered soothing words to her brother, who looked both dazed and panicked as he stared up at them.

The nurse walked in, saw that Johnny was awake, and hurried out again as she searched for the doctor.

_What the hell did they put down my throat?! _Johnny thought as he tried to rip the tubing out. However, Ben had shot out his rocky hand, and was holding his arms down. "Easy there matchstick, the doctor is coming to take it out right now."

Knowing that getting out of Ben's hold was impossible even at his best, Johnny let himself relax against the mattress.

Dr. Shinx was suddenly in the room, followed by a nurse. Ben shuffled to the side so that the doctor could closer to Johnny, gently steering Alicia out of the way as well.

Johnny looked at the doctor tiredly and gave him a look that said, "If you don't get this thing outta my throat quick like, I'm going to broil you."

Dr. Shinx ignored the evil look he was receiving from his patient, which really wasn't very evil looking at all. Johnny didn't exactly look particularly threatening laying, pale faced, in a hospital bed.

"Mr. Storm, I'm doctor Shinx, I'll be taking the respirator out for you right now. I need you to relax, and on the count of three, I want you to start coughing, alright?"

Johnny nodded to show that he understood, and he felt his sisters hold on his hand tighten.

"Alright…one…two…three!"

Johnny immediately started to cough, gagging as the long tube slid out of his throat. As soon as the thing was out, his head fell back against the pillows and he closed his eyes as he continued to cough.

Sue could feel tears brimming to the surface as she watched her brother suffer, but she help them back, not wanting Johnny to see her upset.

Dr. Shinx set the tubing on a metal tray, and handed it to a nurse, who immediately left the room. Turning back to his patient, he spoke quietly, "You are a very lucky man, Mr. Storm. It's a very good thing that our surgeon, Dr. Aster, is extremely good at what she does."

Johnny opened his eyes and gave the doctor a weak grin, he opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a croak.

"Your throat is a little bruised and scratched from the breathing tube, your voice should be fine in a few minutes," Dr. Shinx explained patiently, "I want you to get a lot of rest, we'll talk about your recovery rate later today, when you can talk without any pain to your throat."

Johnny nodded slowly before focusing his gaze on his sister, only half listening to the doctor, who was saying something about giving them some privacy as he left the room.

Sue immediately wrapped her arms around her baby brother's neck, hugging him gently. "I thought I'd lost you!" She mumbled into his shoulder.

Johnny cleared his throat painfully, determined to speak. "You…c-can't get…rid o-of me…that e-easily." He spoke hoarsely, frowning at how weak his voice sounded.

Sue sniffled as she laughed, before her face grew more serious. "Johnny…if you ever, _ever _do that to me again…I swear I'll kill you myself!"

"She's not kiddin' kid; you should have seen what she did to the guy that shot you…" Ben added seriously, "Thought for a couple of seconds that she was going to blast him through the wall."

Johnny blinked, apparently confused. "W-what happened…t-to me…exactly?"

"You don't remember? Johnny…you were shot protecting me! You've been unconscious for hours!" Sue cried, "Reed, go and get the doctor!"

Reed made no move to get a doctor; he was looking down at Johnny, a disapproving look on his face. "That isn't funny, Johnny." He scolded, seeing right through the younger mans joke.

"What's not funny?" Sue asked, looking from her fiancé to her brother, who was currently holding in his laughter. "JOHNNY!" She shrieked, realizing that he had been playing a prank on her.

Johnny shrunk away from his furious sister, trying to hide in his blankets and pillows. Pain lanced up his side as he shifted, causing him to wince. He stared at his sister, trying to look as innocent as possible by widening his blue eyes.

"THAT WASN'T FUNNY!" Sue practically yelled, "YOU SCARED ALL OF US HALF TO DEATH!"

Squirming guiltily, Johnny replied, "S-sorry! You g-guys just….l-looked so…morbid…I was…trying t-to l-lighten…the mood!"

"Well that wasn't the best way to do it." Sue continued to lecture, but upon seeing her brother's face, she couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips. It was just impossible to stay mad at him when he was injured.

Ben rolled his eyes and mumbled loudly, "So I guess you're still the same old annoying hotshot that you were before? Damn…and here I thought that you'd mature, having a near death experience and all…"

Johnny sent his rocky friend a small smirk. "You…know y-you…love m-me p-pebbles!"

Grumbling, Ben replied, "Stupid little punk…I'll show you exactly what I think…" He wasn't able to finish this thought however, for Alicia had smacked him in the arm and hissed quietly, "Ben Grimm! Not another word!"

Reed smiled at the playful banter, grateful that nearly dying hadn't changed Johnny's joking ways. "Irregardless of what Ben may be saying now…he was just as worried as the rest of us," He said loudly, "Right, Ben?"

If Ben was able to blush, he would have right then. Glancing down at Johnny, he mumbled something unintelligible and nodded his head.

Johnny smiled in triumph before turning back to his sister. "S-so…you're…o-okay? You…w-weren't hurt?" He asked.

"I'm perfectly fine, thanks to you," Sue reassured him, "The man that shot you…his name is Greg Stepler, he's in police custody. We talked to one of the cops working the case…apparently Stepler suffers from both bi-polar and obsessive compulsive disorder."

"He…g-going to…jail?" Johnny asked quietly.

"We're not sure, Johnny. The police have to do a full investigation before anything is decided…we _do_ know that he won't be able to harm anyone else again." Reed answered.

"T-that's good…" Johnny said softly, "So…how…l-long am I…stuck h-here for?"

"You should be out of here in less than a week, as long as there are no problems." Sue answered.

"Once we get back to the Baxter building…after you've healed up some more, we're going to need to perform some tests, just to make sure that your powers won't be affected by the injury." Reed added.

Johnny's smile disappeared. "My powers?!" He spoke a little too loudly, causing his throat to burn as he began to cough.

"Johnny!" Sue admonished, "Don't overexert your throat!"

Reed gave the younger man a reassuring smile, "Don't worry Johnny; I don't think your abilities have been affected, I just want to play it safe."

His cough attack finished, Johnny whispered, "Okay…w-whatever you say R-Reed…"

Sue noticed that her brother's eyes were drooping, he was definitely exhausted. "You should get some rest." She suggested gently. _There are probably sedatives in his IV drip. _

"You w-worry too much..." Johnny grumbled, but already his eyes were closed.

"Only because you give me reason to." Sue defended herself.

Sinking deeper into his pillows, Johnny said hoarsely, "You g-guys better…not w-watch me…sleep…I k-know I'm e-easy….on t-the eyes….but t-that'd just be…creepy…"

Slapping his arm slightly, Sue laughed, "You're just too much sometimes! Now quit talking and go to sleep!"

"Yes ma'am…" Johnny gave a mocking salute before sleep claimed him.

A little while later Reed let out a relieved breath, "I can't believe he almost died."

Sue shuddered, still holding her sleeping brothers hand. "I couldn't even _imagine_ living without him." _What would I do without my cocky, overprotective, hotshot little brother?_

"Let's just thank our lucky stars that he made it through this." Alicia spoke up, her unseeing eyes looking down at Johnny, while she didn't know the Human Torch as well as the others did, she couldn't help but love his quirky personality.

Ben nodded in agreement. "Everything is going to go back to normal…and soon enough I'll want to kill Johnny myself." He grumbled, looking at Johnny fondly.

Sue and Reed laughed before the four of them fell into a relaxing silence. The only noises that filled the room were the steady beating of the heart monitor, and Johnny's soft breathing.

* * *

_I don't like how I ended this chapter, but I was sick of picking over it ha-ha. Don't forget that there will be an epilogue. Hope you liked it!_

_Ashley_


	4. Epilogue

* * *

**Epilogue**

"…_and in other news this evening, we have just received word that Johnny Storm, also known as the Human Torch, is recovering well at the Fantastic Four's residence. Mr. Storm was shot three weeks ago in a newly opened club. Greg Stepler, the alleged shooter, will appear in court this week on attempted murder charges. His lawyer claims that Mr. Stepler will be pleading temporary insanity. Now to Joyce with the weather…"_

Johnny had been sprawled out on the couch sleeping lightly when he heard his name mentioned on the news. Cracking open an eye; he watched the news anchor sleepily.

"They _still_ goin' on about it?" Ben grumbled from the doorway.

"Yup." Johnny replied, not moving from his position on the couch.

"Better be careful Matchstick…wouldn't want all this attention to get to your head," Ben said sarcastically, "Oops! I forgot…it's already too late for that."

Johnny chuckled, closing his eyes as he relaxed deeper into the sofa. He and Ben had gone back to bickering and nagging quite quickly after the shooting, and he didn't mind in the least. Before he could retort with a witty comeback, both Sue and Reed entered the room.

"Johnny, you awake?" Sue asked softly as she walked around the couch.

"Yeah, Ben woke me up with his gravelly voice." Johnny joked, opening his eyes so that he could look directly at this sister.

"How're you feeling?" Sue questioned as she sat opposite of him, her blue eyes sweeping over his relaxed form critically.

"Fantastic!" Johnny replied exasperatedly. _What is this, like the millionth time she's asked me? _"Really Sue, my side only aches occasionally, and Reed himself said that my powers are fine. I've flamed on a few times this week and nothing bad has happened."

Reed nodded in support, "His powers were not affected by the bullet, and he definitely looks healthier."

"He's back to his annoying, cocky self." Ben snorted, but he was smiling all the same.

"_BREAKING NEWS!"_

The four superheroes quickly looked to the television when they heard these words. They watched silently as the news anchor started talking about a major fire that had erupted at the north end of the city. The screen soon flashed to a flustered looking reporter, who was standing in the forefront of a massive apartment building blaze.

"_The five alarm blaze has firefighters working frantically, Kevin," The reporter said breathlessly, "There are an estimated twenty people still trapped in the upper floors, and the firefighters are having trouble finding a way to get to them…"_

Johnny tore his eyes away from the screen and gave his teammates a pleading look. There had been several incidents during the past three weeks, none of which they had allowed him to help with. "You're going to need me for this one."

As if on cue, their communicators started beeping simultaneously. They were obviously being called to the fire.

"C'mon! I'm as healthy as a horse! You know I can help, spending last week as Reed's human guinea pig proved that I'm good to go."

"I don't know…" Sue began hesitantly, "You'll be careful right? You won't overexert yourself?"

"Of course not." Johnny said nonchalantly, jumping off of the couch quickly. The familiar feeling of adrenalin surged through him, his exhaustion completely forgotten.

"Well, get suited up then- we gotta go." Ben said impatiently.

Johnny grinned as he pulled off his sweater, revealing the blue uniform underneath, "I'm ready when you guys are."

"Meet you there?" Sue sighed, knowing that she couldn't keep her brother safe forever.

"You bet." Johnny smiled, stepping forward he whispered into her ear, "Don't worry sis, I promise you I'll be fine."

"Yeah, I know you will." She nodded in agreement, allowing a reluctant smile to spread across her face.

"Let's go!" Reed called from the hallway, Ben was already halfway down the hall.

Sue gave her brother a quick hug and ran after her fiancé. The last thing she heard before she shut the front door was her brother letting out a joyful whoop as he jumped from the balcony, yelling his favorite line;

"FLAME ON!"

**The End.**

* * *

_So that's it! It may be a little corny, but I wanted to end it on a happy note! I may extend this chapter if I find the time, but that is not very likely (I'm a busy lady haha!)...hopefully it proves as a satisfying end!_


End file.
